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White Spring Flowers – Here is my Top Seven List of White Spring Garden Flowers

One of the simplest, most enjoyable tasks for beginning and advanced gardeners alike is choosing spring flowers for your future flower garden.  Every gardener has their favorite spring flowers.  If you are looking to discover your favorites, here is a list of my favorites that give the first sign of life after the long and dark winter. The list of white spring flowers starts with:

#1 Daffodils (Mount Hood)

Flowering time:    most varieties are early to mid spring flowering

A few are very early spring flowering: Rijnveld’s Early Sensation, Glenfarclas
late spring flowering species: Vie en Rose (mid to late), Primeur (late)

Plant height:    12 – 24″ (30 – 60 cm)

Minimum planting depth:    6″ (15 cm)

Hardiness zones:    suitable for zones 3 – 7

Colors:    white or yellow petals with white, yellow, pink, orange or red trumpet

Alternate name: Trumpet Narcissi

Additional Information:    good for beds and borders, perform better in the cooler zones than they do in the Deep South

Example varieties: Arctic Gold (goldenrod yellow), Dutch Master (bright yellow, flared trumpet, serrated edges), Empress of Ireland (white overlapping petals, flared trumpet), Glenfarclas (golden yellow petals and red-orange trumpet),  Golden Harvest (golden yellow), King Alfred (golden yellow, pointed twisted petals), Las Vegas (creamy white petals, canary yellow trumpet), Mount Hood (ivory white), Primeur (egg yolk yellow), Rijnveld’s Early Sensation (bright yellow), Spellbinder (yellow petals, greenish sulphur-yellow trumpet, matures to white), Vie en Rose (white petals with deep pink trumpet)


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#2 Grecian Windflowers

Flowering time:     early spring

Plant height:    2 – 6″ (5 – 15 cm)

Minimum planting depth:    3″ (8 cm), but depends on the size of the bulb: you can safely plant larger Anemone bulbs 4 or 5″ (10 – 12 cm) deep

Hardiness zones:    suitable for zones 5 – 9 also suitable for zones 3 and 4 if a layer of deep mulch is put on the bed in the fall

Colors:    white, pink, mauve, fuschia, blue

Alternate names: Windflower, Grecian Windflower, Greek Anemone

Notes:    good under shrubs or deciduous trees, among perennial flowers, in rock gardens, beds, borders, and containers, prefers filtered shade, with humus-rich soil, flowering period lengthened if planted in area sheltered from wind

Example varieties: Blue Shades (light to dark blue shades), Blue Star (blue), Charmer (deep pink), Pink Star (pink), Radar (deep pink with white centre), Rosea (fuschia with white centre), White Splendour (white), White Star (white)

#3 Hyacinths

Flowering time:    Early spring flowering

Plant height:    8 – 12″ (20 – 30 cm)

Minimum planting depth:    8″ (20 cm)

Hardiness zones: Suitable for zones 5 – 8, also zone 4 if a layer of deep mulch is put on the flower bed in the fall

Colors:    White, pink, red, yellow, apricot, orange, mauve, blue, purple

Alternate names: Hyacinthus orientalis

Additional information for hyacinths:    Good for rock gardens, containers, forcing indoors, mass planting, beds, and borders. Hyacinths like a rich soil (i.e. lots of organic matter in it), but they also want “dry feet”. In other words, the soil underneath the bulbs should be well a draining soil. If yours isn’t a well draining soil, make the hole even deeper and mix sand or even gravel with the soil that goes under the Hyacinth bulbs, to make your bulbs life easier.

Example varieties: Amethyst* (pink), Blue Jacket* (deep blue), Carnegie* (white), City of Haarlem* (creamy yellow), Delft Blue* (rich blue), Fondant** (pink), Gypsy Queen* (apricot), Jan Bos* (deep fuschia pink), L’Innocence* (white), Peter Stuyvesant* (royal blue-purple), Splendid Cornelia* (lilac pink), Woodstock* (red purple)

#4 Snow Crocus

Flowering time:    very early spring

Plant height:    3 – 4″ (8 – 10 cm)

Minimum planting depth:    3″ (8 cm)

Hardiness zones: suitable for zones 3 – 8

Colors:    white, blue, mauve, purple; may have areas of white, yellow, or orange

Additional information:    good for rock gardens, under trees and shrubs, in lawns, in beds, borders, large drifts, and containers, or you also can force crocus bulbs indoors.

#5 Lily of the Valley

Flowering time:    Late spring

Plant height:    6 -12″ (15 – 30 cm)

Minimum planting depth:    Plant pips 1″ (2 -3 cm) below soil surface, For already potted plants, make sure soil around plant is well tamped down and plant is well watered

Hardiness zones: Can survive in zones 2 – 9, but does best in zones 3 – 7
Colors:    White; however, the cultivated variety Rosea is pale pink

Additional information:    Good as a container plant, ground cover, cut flower, in borders, rock gardens, under trees or shrubs, or in a woodland garden. Tolerates both acid and alkaline soil, sun and shade, but prefers partial shade with moist, humus-rich soil. Warnings: All parts of the plant are poisonous and where well adapted, plants can become invasive.

#6 Paperwhite Daffodils

Flowering time:    zones 8 – 11: winter blooming, otherwise to be used for indoor forcing

Plant height:    12 – 20″ (30 – 50 cm)

Minimum planting depth:    in garden: 5″ (12 cm)
when forcing, soil is not required; use a medium, such as pebbles, to keep bulbs upright

Hardiness zones: suitable for zones 8 – 11 otherwise only for forcing indoors

Colors:    white, yellow, and orange; may have tinges of green

Additional information:    outstanding for indoor forcing; bulbs do not need to be chilled as a part of the initial indoor forcing process; intoxicating fragrance; Many nurseries, supermarkets, and hardware stores will sell Paperwhites already packaged for indoor forcing, especially in November and December. However, it is much cheaper to order paperwhite bulbs and do it yourself.

#7 Giant Snowdrop

Flowering time:    Very early spring

Plant height:    4 – 6″ (10 – 15 cm), although some cultivated varieties grow up to 10″ (25 cm) tall

Minimum planting depth:    3″ (8 cm)

Hardiness zones: Suitable for zones 2 – 9, usually they do best in zones 4 – 7

Colors:    Clear milk white, usually with emerald green tipped inner segments

Additional information:    Good for rock gardens, under trees and shrubs, at the fronts of borders or in front of flowering shrubs, in lawns, or along woodland paths
Prefers moist, humus-rich soils, sun-dappled shade, and cooler climates; Naturalizes both by self-seeding and bulb offsets;

Get started with your own flower garden and then pick your own white spring flowers favorites. Please remember to remove spent flowers from bulbs, but leave the rest of the plant as is for the time being. And also pull weeds from your flower beds and borders before they have a chance to take hold and spread. After winter weeds are weak and it is the easiest season to control weeds in your flower beds.

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My Top 5 Shade Flowers

Foxglove Foxgloves are biennials, meaning they complete their life cycle over two years. The best way to get them established is to buy small transplants and put them in the ground in early fall.

The spires of white, pink, and rose speckled flowers are truly impressive. Foxgloves do like some sun, so situate them in light shade or in afternoon-only shade.

The less light they receive, the more spindly flower stems will be its best to put a tall stake in place right as the flower stalk begins to grow. Then you can keep tying the stalk to the stake in intervals, as the stalk grows.

It really is best to stake otherwise, its inevitable that a spring rainstorm will batter and break down the flower stems.

Columbine This is one of the showier shade-bloomers, and again, there are many varieties to choose from. Columbine are grown easily from seed; just scatter a packet over a patch of tilled soil in the fall.

The seeds need a winter chilling period and will sprout in spring, blooming by their second year. They are prolific self-sowers if you allow the flower heads to go to seed a lucky break, since the plants themselves seem to be rather short-lived.

Columbines come in an endless variety of colors and bi-color combinations; there are tiny ones (eight inches) and tall ones (two to three feet flower stalks). Give them light to moderate shade and keep them well watered.

Blue phlox (wild sweet William) This is also one of the most beautiful of the shade flowers, it blooms in mid-spring. During most of the year the plant is a low rosette of foliage; it shoots up stems from one to two feet high when it flowers.

There is a white form available, but most common is a pale lilac-blue color. As an added bonus, the flowers last longer than those of most spring-blooming perennials. Light shade is best; the plant may not bloom well in dense shade.

 

Daylily Though it is most often grown in sun, the daylily is remarkably shade tolerant. It is one of the most carefree perennials as its tough as nails. Because daylilies are easy breed, there are thousands of hybrid varieties available in every color but blue or a pure white (creamy whites abound).

They come in different heights and different flower forms double, ruffled, etc. Daylilies look best planted in masses. They make good companion plants for spring bulbs, as the emerging daylily foliage camouflages the dying leaves of daffodils and others. Daylilies bloom in early summer.

Japanese anemone This is a noteworthy plant in that it is one of the few shade-lovers that bloom in fall (late summer in Northern climates). Flowers are pink or white, single-petalled or double, and they are beautifully showy. It isn’t possible to say enough good things about this shade flower!

Shade Flower Gardening: Add Color and Splash to the Shady Areas of Your Garden

Have you got a shady spot in your landscape that could use some color and splash? Don’t worry, there are plenty of flowers and plants that can make it look gorgeous.

Hydrangeas are fabulous shrubs which produce large globe-shaped flowers made up of individual florets. They are well suited for many different area of your garden. Most Hydrangeas will do well in areas from shady to sunny. They come in a large variety of colors and variety as well.

Hydrangeas can grow quite large, so make sure that you have room for them to expand. Some varieties can grow to six feet tall and wide, so be sure to check the species before you purchase to be certain that you will have enough room.

Hydrangeas have large heart-shaped leaves which can be variegated or dark green. The foliage is lovely as well as the flowers. The colors of Hydrangeas can range from red to blue, pink and white. They are a perfect addition to your shade garden and will bloom from mid summer on.

The color of your Hydrangea flowers will depend of the species you purchase, but also on the acidity of your soil. If you purchase a pink Hydrangea, and find that it’s flowers are actually blooming in blue, then you can bet you have acidic soil. If the reverse is true, and your blue Hydrangea is blooming pink, then you probably have a very alkaline soil. You can purchase soil additives at most garden centers to adjust the ph of the soil if you are not please with the color of your Hydrangea blooms.

For the best results in shady areas, plant Hydrangeas in rich soil and keep well-watered but not soggy. Hydrangeas bloom on last year’s wood, so do not prune branches back unless they are damaged or rotten.

Ferns are also beautiful plants for your shade loving garden. They come in many varieties. Their fronds range from dark green to variegated and some species have fronds which grow to thirty inches or more. They also make great cuttings to add to your home grown flower arrangements.

Ferns like to be cool and moist, so plant them where they will be in the shade and will retain moisture. You may want to mulch them to help keep the moisture in as well.

Hostas are a fabulous addition to any shade garden. They have myriad uses and are a plus to any shady spot in your landscape.

Hosta - Showy Collection

Hostas tend to be low-growing and so can be terrific for borders. They have very large heart-shaped leaves and come in a variety of colors. The leaves can grow quite large, depending on the species. They range from yellow-green to dark green to variegated. Hostas also produce spikes which will form flowers in the mid summer.

Hostas love the shade and will want to be well-watered, but not soggy. They are terrific as edging plants or will fill in empty spaces in your shade garden nicely. They also grow quickly and can easily be divided to create more plants as they mature.

Bleeding Hearts are delicate looking plants that will look beautiful in your shade garden. They can grow to about two to three feet tall, have fern-like foliage and stalks which produce the flowers. The flowers look like hearts dangling above the foliage and come in pink and white.

Bleeding hearts will do well in shade or partial shade and are among the first plants to bloom in the spring. They like to be well-watered, but will not do well if left soggy, so make sure to put them in a well-drained spot. The plants may die back in the mid summer heat, so try to plant them next to something like hostas which will help hide the gap in your shade garden.

Beautify your Shady Garden Try these plants to spruce up the shady spots in your garden. With a little care, you should have a spectacular garden to show off. Try to mix the bloom times of each segment of your garden so that you will have beauty all season long.

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5 Perennials For Shade Gardens

We all know that flowers love sunshine, but did you realize that there are perennials that love the shade?

You can create a beautiful garden in the shade that can act as a cooling retreat on those hot summer days. By using perennials, your flowers will come up year after year for a lifetime of enjoyment.

Shade gardens offer much more than gardens that sit in the blazing sun all day. You can actually sit in them and enjoy them. Pull up a nice lounge chair or have a beautiful granite bench installed. Sit and read on a hot day, or just sip a drink and enjoy the birds and butterflies.

Like any other garden the best shade gardens will have taller plants in the back against the house or woods, medium growing plants in the middle and the shorter or ground cover plants on the inner edge. Since most perennials bloom for a short time, you ‘ll want to plant them so that you always have color in the garden. Stage the planting so that each area has a blooming plant at all times of the season.

Here’s a list of some perennials that thrive in the shade:

Astibe – This plant comes in 3 “sizes” which grow to 20″, 30″ and 40″ in a variety of colors. You can make a whole garden just with this 1 flower! It looks best planted in groups and has clumps of fluffy flower spikes.

Foxglove – This is a great plant for the back row of the flower garden as it can grow to 5 feet tall. It comes in a variety of colors and has large spikes filled with bell shaped flowers. This beautiful flower is highly toxic if ingested so be careful with it around animals and small children.

Lily of the valley – This wonderfully fragrant plant has dainty white bell shaped flowers. It is great for a ground cover or the front of the garden as it grows to only about 6″ tall.

Lousiana Iris – This beautiful velvety purple black flower produces 4″ blooms that last well into June. Plant in groups for best effect. Grows about 2 feet tall.

Virginia Blue Bells – This medium sized plant has lavender bell shaped clusters. It grows to about 2 feet in height and is very hardy and easy to grow despite it’s fragile appearance.


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About the Author:  Lee Dobbins is a contributing writer for Backyard Garden And Patio.com where you can find out more about building your dream garden and growing garden flowers

Here is another interesting article about shade gardening:

When making a shade garden, it’s important to match your plant choice to the type of shade. Budding shade gardeners should bear in mind that you get different kinds of shade, namely: dry shade, moist shade, and wet shade.

When you begin planning your shade garden, you should take into consideration the type of shade you’ll be working with. Remember, the amount of moisture present will have a significant impact on what type of plants and flowers you’ll be able to grow. Essentially, unless you want to be bitterly disappointed, you should make a point of matching your plants to the type of shade you’re dealing with.

Dry shade is perhaps the most challenging condition of all when it comes to shade gardens. However, don’t for a minute believe people who try to convince you that you cannot grow anything under trees such as pine, fir, cedar or spruce. Some gardeners will tell you that this is because the needles which drop to the ground end up turning the soil acidic, but the truth is that there are several types of plants which actually thrive in these conditions.

If you have a garden in the shade of coniferous evergreen trees, then you need to compensate by adding organic matter to the soil, and by watering thoroughly at least once a week. You should also use a few inches of mulch on the soil in order to help retain moisture.

Those who are dealing with dry shade under large trees should seriously consider using a drought tolerant ground cover such as sweet woodruff, ajuga, lily of the valley, periwinkle or pachysandra. You could also use Bishop’s weed but I have found it to be quite invasive. Likewise, providing you have eight to ten inches of good soil, you can also grow hosta, hardy geranium, bergenia, and hellebore.

On the other hand, if you’re dealing with a wet shade garden then you may want to try sedges and rushes. This is because most of these actually enjoy having wet feet and plenty of shade. Astilbe, primrose, perennial lobelia, witchhazel, spicebush, jack-in-the-pulpit, Indian pipe, rue, spiderwort, bleeding heart, and Japanese iris are some others which also tend to do well in wet shade. If you’re wondering what type of shrubs you can plant in wet shade, then I would suggest ones such as oakleaf hydrangea, red twig dogwoods, and forsythia.

If you’re really lucky then you’ll have a shade garden which is neither wet nor dry, and if so, you’ll be able to plant any plants mentioned in this article. However, you’ll also have the advantage of being able to plant ferns, forget-me-not, Scotch moss, campanula, epimedium, leopard’s bane, foxglove, and pulmonaria.

Want to find out more about Shade Gardens? Visit my website for photos and recommendations on how to choose the best shade plants for your needs.

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Perennial Flowers – Three Steps To a Beautiful Flower Garden

So, you are thinking about starting a new flower garden, but don’t know where to begin? Perennial flowers make an excellent choice for a beautiful flower display, but in order to create a garden with the most impact, there are many factors to consider before planting your perennial flower garden.

Site Selection

When selecting a site for a perennial flower garden, you should be certain that it receives enough sunlight. Most perennial flowers thrive on six hours of sunlight a day or more. If you are stuck with a shady place, however, you can still grow some perennial flowers. You will just need to be careful of which varieties you choose, and make sure they are shade tolerant.

You also need to consider soil quality and drainage in your proposed perennial flower garden site. Avoid planting in areas with an abundance of weeds, as they will compete with the perennial flowers for needed nutrients and water. You should also avoid areas that have poor drainage.

While perennial flowers will be able to survive in a wet area for a short period of time after a rain or watering, they will not survive in an area where there is standing water for long periods of time. Ideally, the soil in your perennial flower garden site will also be fluffy and rich, but if not, try to incorporate sufficient compost into the soil before you plant your flowers.

Don’t forget to consider foot traffic and children and pet play habits in the area you are considering establishing your perennial flower bed. Try to avoid planting your perennial flowers in an area where they will be trampled underfoot.

Flower Selection

Perennial flowers come in a wide array of colors, shapes and types, and the perennial flower gardener may quickly be overwhelmed by choices.

One tip for making your flower selection is to consider how colors combine. Try not to choose flowers whose colors may clash (such as orange and pink), and instead focus on complementary colors in your garden (pinks and blues often make a beautiful combination).

You should also consider the height of different flower species. Try to make sure a tall perennial flower you have selected does not hide a smaller one behind it.

Finally, pay attention to the blooming period of the perennial flowers you are selecting. Most perennial flowers have a short blooming period lasting from two to four weeks, and for maximum impact you should coordinate the blooming periods of different perennial flowers.

Growing Habits of Perennial Flowers

If you are starting your perennial flowers from seed, you should be aware that it is unlikely you will see any flowers during their first year of growth. This is because most perennial flowers will put all their energy into root and plant growth during the first year, but during the second year (and future years) you can expect a beautiful display.

If you do not think you have the patience to wait a full two years to see flowers, consider planting some annuals with your perennials so that you will have some color in your garden during the first year.

You can also try using transplants you first year, in order to get your perennial flower garden off to a quick start. If you decide to use transplants, try to select plants that are not in bloom when you plant them, since this is not a good time to establish them in your garden. Also avoid transplants that have pale or yellow stems and leaves.

Try to do your transplanting on a day which is relatively cool and overcast for the best results, and be sure to water the plants well after transplanting and continue watering until the plants have become well established.

Although starting a new garden can be a challenge, by following the few suggestions outlined above, you should be well on your way to creating a beautiful, and long lasting, perennial flower garden.

Dutch Gardens, Inc.

Michelle Day is an avid gardener currently living in the Pacific Northwest. You can read more about perennial flowers on her Perennial Gardening Blog.

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Butterfly gardens – How to attract butterflies

Your way to butterfly gardens…

Plant it and they will come..butterflies, that is. These seemingly mysterious creatures are easy to attract if you know what flowers will lure them to your garden and backyard.

Try to include at least one of these butterfly classics to create your butterfly garden…

Butterfly weed/Asclepias tuberosa:

This hardy perennial weed produces a multitude of bright orange flowers that bloom throughout the summer. Consider purchasing at a nursery as seeds tend to be hard to sprout. If starting by seed, get a head start by planting indoors six weeks prior to outdoor planting time.
Plant Height: 12-36 inches
Planting Depth: 1/4 inch
When to plant: Spring/after danger of frost has passed
Needs full sun

Lantana/Lantana camara:
The flowers on this beautiful shrub come in many different combinations to include solids of red, orange, yellow, white, or pink. There are numerous multicolored varieties and my favorite is the combination of pink, yellow, and orange. This perennial survives the winter only in zones 8-10, all other areas should treat it as an annual.
Plant Height: 24-48 inches
When to plant: Spring/after danger of frost has passed
Needs full sun

butterfly garden

Butterfly bush/Buddleia davidii:
This popular hardy perennial grows
3-10 feet tall and comes in many different hues to include, purple, pink, and white clusters. It can be planted in a container, as a shrub border, or with other perennials.
Needs full sun

Butterflies are cold-blooded and prefer sunny locations with bold splashes of color and fragrance. They are attracted to vines, shrubs, herbs, and nectar producing annuals and perennials that are planted in groupings. Plant native varieties of butterfly favorites as often as possible. Place several flat, dark rocks in your garden that will enable your winged visitors to bask in the warmth of the day.

Plenty of water is essential for optimal plant growth and for providing a much needed cool drink on a warm summer day. Make sure to provide shelter from the wind by using bushes or fencing, as strong winds can interfere with flight, feeding, and mating.

Additional ideas:
*Place a shallow dish filled with pebbles, sand, and water in your butterfly gardens as another way to give the butterflies a drink.
* Keep a butterfly diary: Keep track of what type of butterflies you attract, what plants they are attracted to, and what time of day and year they are observed. This will help you discover what additional plants you might want to add next year.

Please don’t forget:

*Do not use chemical insecticides in your butterfly gardens as it will kill both caterpillars and butterflies.
*Some birds will eat butterflies. Place a birdfeeder across the yard to keep the birds occupied and full!

How to create your own self-contained Butterfly Garden:

20 inch planter/container
Potting soil
Coffee Filter
Fertilizer
Butterfly bush

Butterfly weed
Lantana
Heliotrope
Parsley
VerBena (Homestead Purple) Penta

Visit your local nursery or order online a preplanned butterfly garden. Purchase the plants that are suggested from the list above. Find a sunny spot that is protected from the wind. Place a flattened coffee filter at the bottom of your container and fill with potting soil. (this will help to keep valuable nutrients from escaping) Plant the tallest specimens in the back and the shorter ones in the front. Water and fertilize frequently. Have fun with your butterfly gardens.

“The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly”
Ecouchard Le Brun

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